I Respectfully Disagree Mr. Johnson
Stuff—like flowers, lampposts, and MP3s—doesn’t possess truth … In relation to your CD collection, morally questionable song lyrics and screechy guitars have about as much intrinsic power to cause a kid to act out in anti-social behavior as a black cat has at giving you bad juju.
I do agree with many of the points written by Mr. Matt Johnson. However, I believe MP3s do contain truth, or better put, a worldview. The artist believes something, writes it into the song and conveys that ‘truth’ or worldview to the listener. There is intrinsic power in that song. So often the Proverbs warn people to be careful of the company they keep. Even Psalm 1:1 warns us of this. Bad company corrupts good character, why?
We are spiritual beings. We are able to affect each other on a spiritual level. That is why Paul tells his churches to exhort and encourage one another. We have the power to spiritually benefit one another. The artist who wrote that song is a spiritual being. He or she has the ability to affect and influence the listeners on a spiritual level.
The song contains words and words are powerful. God created the Heavens and the Earth with words. Jesus healed people with his words. Our words have power too. We can tear people down or build people up. We can influence people and change the way they see the world. The artists’ words have power too. They can affect our attitude, reinforce our thoughts, challenge our beliefs, or stir our emotions.
The Christian warnings on secular music is not because it is inherently sinful but because it has the potential to cause us to become sinful. We need to guard what we listen to since it does have to power to affect us at a spiritual level. To think otherwise could be our folly. That is why Paul encourages the churches at Ephesus and Colossae to sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to one another. (Eph 5:19, Col 3:16) Their words can benefit the listener. We need to be discerning listeners of music. We should not blindly reject music b/c it’s not from a Christian artist but in the same way we should not blindly fill our ears and our minds with any music.